Tat* is a bit of a graphic designer’s curse. Walk into any design studio and you’ll see bits and pieces of graphic ephemera pinned to the walls or taped to a computer screen. Even the purist will have a secret cache hidden away somewhere. Designer Andy Altmann has been collecting tat for more than 30 years. He finds inspiration in the ordinary, and magic in the mundane. Finally he has decided to share his collection with the world. Conceived and edited by Andy, this is the apotheosis of tat. A visual treasure trove, full of surprises, it should find a place on every graphic designer’s desk.
Tat: anything that looks cheap, is of low quality, or in bad condition; junk, rubbish, debris
This book was a delight to wander through. A good bit of the appeal is wonderment at what someone else has decided was worth saving – and his delight in his own collection is evident throughout. It’s playfully designed, creating collages out of ephemera and commentary.
It’s also an exercise in seeing what you’re looking at. It’s lowbrow, finding art in the untrained and accidental and utilitarian.
I think the author would be tickled that I’m saving my favorites on what’s basically my online scrapbook.
Babyfat – font by Milton Glaser, 1964
Bingo lingo – slang phrases to represent various numbers
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